


the cost of death

by plutodolohov



Category: Original Work
Genre: American Hospitals, Capitalism is a bastard, Gay, Gen, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Indian Character, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:13:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29142789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plutodolohov/pseuds/plutodolohov
Summary: Prompt: The sun had finally set. The day was finally over. All was quiet – until that fateful knock at the door…
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	the cost of death

He put his takeout box in the trash, the record player playing Frank Sinatra softly in the background. He sat down on his couch, sighing in relief after a long day at work, sipping from a glass of white wine. Sitting and staring at the clock, he wondered where his husband was. He usually wasn’t this late - most of the time, he was home and making dinner by five; but it was almost nine now, and he wasn’t home, and hadn’t called either. He shook his head and walked to the kitchen: if David wasn’t home yet, he reasoned, then he would hungry when he inevitably stumbled in an hour or two from now. He had just started to chop some tomatoes for some sambhar when he heard a knock at the door that quickly turned into a pounding. 

“I’m coming!” he yelled, striding quickly, wondering what was so urgent. He opened the door to see a police officer. 

“Hello? How may I help you?” 

“Are you Mr. Ram Walker, husband of Mr. David Walker?” she asked. At his nod, she continued, “I regret to inform you that your husband has passed away while in police custody today. I am here to take you to the hospital.”

Ram stared at the short brunette woman, and asked incredulously, “He - he was arrested - and he died? Is this some kind of prank?” He looked around suddenly, a wild light in his eyes. “Where’s the hidden camera? Who are you really?”

"Like I said, your husband died while in police custody. Would you like to come to the hospital? I will update you on the way there.”

Ram stared for a moment longer before turning on his heel abruptly and racing into his house, returning soon with a black overcoat thrown on over his pajamas. In the short ride to the hospital, Ram learnt that while exiting work at around four o’clock, David was attacked by a figure in an all black attire and long black hair; the attacker was recognized, via DNA sample at the hospital, to be a Miss Clarice Everington, who had been arrested previously, but never convicted, for an assault charge. 

Ram raced to the room his husband was in, ignoring the officer’s calls behind him to wait. When he got there, his breath hitched. His husband was sitting flat in the bed, a sheet covering him, a monitor by the side reading “Time of Death: 8:15 p.m.” Pulling the sheet back had Ram also pulling the dam out his eyes, the tears rushing out as he stared at the dull eyes that would never laugh again, the slightly wrinkled forehead that would never touch his again, the pale lips that would never kiss his again. He fell on top of his dead husband, hugging the lifeless body as if he could squeeze life back in. A little later - or a long time; it was difficult to tell time when grief encompassed your every atom - the officer and a nurse came in and asked Ram if he wanted to know how David died. Ram listened as the officer related how they had found his husband:

“Well, after Miss Everington had kidnapped your husband, it appears she sexually assaulted him.” A pause, radiating of guilt. “I didn’t tell you earlier, because I didn’t feel that your house was the proper place to tell you; I felt you needed somewhere more closed off. I also wanted to get you to your husband as fast as possible. But, he had multiple bruises around and on his genitals and -”

The nurse interrupted, “We only know about those injuries due to Miss Everington’s call to the hospital. She called in stating she had found someone who appeared to have been raped in the alleyway at 19th Avenue and Washington. We immediately sent out an ambulance. It was only later that someone wondered why she had called the hospital directly, and not 911, which led to her arrest as we took her DNA under suspicion of having performed the assault.” 

The nurse took a breath, and went on, “Mr. Walker, I need to -”

The door opened, and a doctor walked in, asking, “How would you like to pay, Mr. Walker?” 

Ram blinked at the doctor. “Excuse me? For what?”

The doctor cocked his head and asked, “Michelle hasn't told you yet?” At his head shake, the doctor threw a glare at the nurse before drawing a deep breath and turning back to Ram, “Well, sir, now that you’re here, you will have to pay for your late husband’s medical fees. Most insurances cover the routine death check-up, but they don't cover the rape tests. I will need you to fill out these forms” - he snatched a file from the nurse’s hands and thrust them into Ram’s - “and then come find me.”

Ram stared in shock at the doctor’s back as he walked out the way he came. He was expected to pay? After his husband died? A voice drew him out of his head and back to the hospital room. 

“- not the best time for this, but I must ask you to fill these out by tomorrow morning; otherwise, you’ll have to pay out of pocket. I’ll try my best to keep the doctor off your back, but you’ll have to do things from your side as well.” With that, the nurse walked out, leaving just Ram and the officer in the room. 

Ram turned to the officer, who could see the unshed tears in his eyes, and asked quietly, "What did she say? I didn’t hear the whole thing.”

“She said that you have to fill these forms out by tomorrow morning. They are the forms acknowledging that the insurance does not pay for the rape testing, and receipts for what the hospital did. I believe she said your total came up to a little above seven thousand dollars?” A pause. “And, I - I’m sorry for your loss.” 

Ram nodded absently as he processed the information. The pair of them sat in silence next to the cooling body, one in contemplation and denial of the situation, the other awkwardly wondering how to ask if they want to press charges. Eventually, Ram stood up, shaking the officer out of her stupor. He asked, as quietly as he had earlier, “May I borrow a phone? I left mine at home.” She immediately reached for her cellphone, unlocking it and opening the phone app. “Here you go, sir.”

She listened in the background as he dialed and held the phone to his ear. Her heart fell as she caught the words, “Hey, son. I know it’s been a while, but I’m calling to let you know that…”


End file.
